This is one of the fastest growing aspects of our hobby today!  With the abundance of inexpensive, electric power systems, more and more people are exploring this sector of radio control.  Indoor electrics are not just available at the local hobby shop.  Now, even large retail chains, such as Wal-Mart and Target, are selling inexpensive radio controlled models anyone can afford to purchase.

The electric power system is not the only technological advance that has made indoor electric flight possible.  There are many ”foam” materials on the market that are very durable.  This is important considering the number of new “pilots” flying indoor electrics.  Unfortunately, there is a learning curve to flying any RC craft, regardless of how simple it is to fly.  The learning curve generally involves a lot of crashing before the right methods become second nature.

Examples of foam on the market are EPP (Expanded Polypropylene), Depron (Closed Cell Polystyrene), BlueCor (Extruded Polystyrene), and EPS (Expanded Polystyrene).  These foams were not developed for RC flight.  The radio control flying community has taken these foams from other industries and adapted them for use in our hobby.  They can be found in products ranging from bike helmets to home insulation.

The  beauty of indoor electric aircraft is that they are typically less expensive than their built up balsa counterparts, easier to build, easier to fly and can be made small enough to fly in most people’s living rooms.  For those reasons, this venue is open to people of all ages and income levels.

As with the larger models, this category also includes helicopters.  Most indoor helicopters are in the “ready-to-fly” category.  Simply charge the batteries, plug them in and fly!  And the ease of flying most of the smaller helicopters makes it an enjoyable past time for almost anyone.  If you should have a mishap, most repairs tend to be minor and parts for major brand names are generally readily available and inexpensive to purchase.  Although micro helicopters can be purchased at retail outlets, a hobby store is going to carry high quality models with better customer and part support.

It is quite evident that this part of our hobby is very enjoyable for young and old alike.  The advent of indoor electrics has opened the doors for many people that have had an interest in this amazing hobby, but were intimidated by the price or complexity of the aircraft.  NO LONGER!!  Now, just about anyone can pick one up and start enjoying RC flight today! 

Example of Indoor Flight (Robert Youens with the Budget RC Arrow)